Tenacious
adjective /tɪˈneɪʃəs/ — Holding on when anyone else would let go.
Definition
Not giving up; holding firmly to something despite difficulty or opposition.
Beyond the definition
Where resilient describes recovery, tenacious describes the refusal to release. It's the person who keeps going not because they have infinite energy, but because they have an iron grip on why they started.
Origin & history
From Latin tenax — holding fast (tenere 'to hold').
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
She was tenacious in her pursuit of the truth — no number of closed doors stopped her.
His tenacious grip on the details caught an error that would have cost them everything.
The tenacious lawyer had lost this kind of case before — and kept taking them anyway.
How to use it
This entry uses an adjective. Follow the examples for the nouns it describes and its position in the sentence.
Choose “Tenacious” when the meaning fits your context: Not giving up; holding firmly to something despite difficulty or opposition.
Synonyms
persistent, determined, resolute, dogged, unwavering
Antonyms
yielding, irresolute, giving up
Related words
- resilient
- perseverant
- steadfast
- indomitable
Tenacious vs stubborn
Tenacious has a positive connotation of grit and determination in pursuit of a goal. Stubborn is often negative, implying an unreasonable refusal to change one's mind or behavior.
Word in the Wild
Illustrative story: an imagined scene, not a documented event or interview.
She applied to the same graduate programme five years in a row. Each rejection letter went into a folder she kept on her desk.
Not as motivation. Not as wallpaper. Just as evidence that she had kept trying, in case she ever needed reminding.
She keeps all five letters. Her students have seen the folder. Some of them have started folders of their own.
Questions about this word
What does "Tenacious" mean?
Tenacious is adjective meaning: Holding on when anyone else would let go.. Not giving up; holding firmly to something despite difficulty or opposition.
Which words express “refusing to give up”?
Tenacious — Holding on when anyone else would let go.
Where does the word "Tenacious" come from?
From Latin tenax — holding fast (tenere 'to hold').